The Thief's Revision
by May7733
Summary: After suffering a terrible defeat at the hands of Link, Ganondorf finds a way to do it all over again. He intends to mend every possible fault in his original plans, beginning, of course, with the virtuous path of the hero in green.
1. 1  Curbing Destiny

**Here it goes... my attempt to begin a potentially epic series. Please please PLEASE review! I want pointers! Fixes! *Constructive* Critique! **

*****update: Chapter 5 is up! Check it out, and REVIEW!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_A child stood before the gates of Hyrule castle, oblivious to the sheets of rain pounding his head and shoulders relentlessly. Spellbound, he watched as the drawbridge lowered, the sound of groaning chains adding to the chorus of the stormy night. Before the gate even reached the ground, a richly decorated horse stormed across, its burden consisting of two women. _

_The older woman held tightly to her companion, a young girl about the age of the onlooking boy. The girl looked at him, breaking the barrier that separated him from the events of this world that didn't seem to be his own. The horse and its riders disappeared as fast as they had arrived, replaced now by something more awesome, more powerful. He looked into the golden eyes of a man he knew he must hate..._

* * *

"Hey! Hey! Wake up! Hey" Chirped a tiny voice. The boy stirred slightly in his bed, but refused to further acknowledge the obnoxious voice. He half-listened as the little alarm continued, "Wake up! L-"

Silence.

Too drowsy to wonder what had just attempted to arouse him and why, the boy gratefully took the silence as a sign that he should slip back into slumber.

A low, grumbling chuckle bubbled up from the other corner of the quaint treehouse. "Could Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a _lazy_ boy?"

Goosebumps traveled up the child's arms and back, his tiny hands gripping the thin sheets of his bed more tightly. In his ten-year-old mind, the wisest thing to do at this point was to feign a deep sleep. He waited, listening for any movement in the room. Nothing… Just as he thought he had the man with the scary voice duped, though, he felt a weight on his unprotected head. He tried desperately not to cry. How had the man traversed the room so silently?

"How very entertaining. I've had enough though, _Link_." He hissed the name bitterly, making his hand heavier on the child's head. It seemed as though the man intended to crush his skull like a mere deku nut. Giving up on his original plan, Link curled up into a ball, hugging his knees to his chest with quivering arms. He whimpered pitifully.

The mysterious man deftly moved his heavy hand from the boy's head to the collar of his green tunic, yanking him roughly from the fetal position and onto his feet. Link kept his eyes squeezed shut, refusing to take in the sight that he might behold. He imagined the voice of this man as that which might belong to the terrible figure in his nightmares.

"Look at me." The man grumbled. "You can't keep your eyes shut forever. Look at me!"

Link shook his head defiantly. He felt the man standing dreadfully close to his shaking, skinny form. The cold air that seemed to follow this man like a loyal pup swirled around Link- he was being sized up, surrounded by a single man. The boy's lips quivered.

"Open your eyes." His breath swathed Link's face, causing his nose to crinkle until he registered the smell. It was a pleasant smell that certainly didn't match the man's low, grumbling voice or cold air. The man was right, after all: Link couldn't keep his eyes shut forever. If he was going to die, he might as well take in his surroundings one last time.

Keeping his eyes mostly shut, the boy searched for the man's face through his blonde lashes. He froze, then snapped his eyes shut once more upon seeing the man; his skin had a green tint, giving it the appearance of being diseased or somewhat alien, and his hair was the color of flames. His most prominent feature, however, was a pair of yellow eyes, which burned with an intensity that seemed to cut straight through Link.

"I d-don't like you!" he stammered nervously.

_He's definitely the destined Hero of Time, _the man thought amusedly, _he never was an orator. _

"Oh? Don't like me?" Link could detect a smile in the man's voice. "Why ever not?"

Link backed up, finding the bed and pulling his legs back into the fetal position once again. "You're the scary m-man. You were going to h-h-" Link gulped back his potential sobs, "hurt that girl on the white horse- I saw you."

"Well now, you seem to have it all figured out, hm? You dreamt me on horseback, storming out of a castle on the heels of the princess and her caretaker, did you not?"

_A princess_, Link thought, _that girl was a princess? _So as not to tell the scary man any more than he needed to know, the boy crossed his arms defiantly.

Link's surprise, the man didn't peruse the topic any further. He simply ran his deft hands through Link's unruly, corn-yellow hair, and chuckled. This caused the child to notice the absence of his cap, which he never removed except to bathe. Deeming his missing cap more important than avoiding the sight of the scary man with the golden eyes, the boy scanned the room for his possession.

"Looking for this?" The man held up what was indeed the object in question, a small green cap. It now glowed with an eerie blue light. Link cautiously pointed to the cap, cocking his head in an inquisitive, birdlike manner. "We'll take it along with us, don't worry, but I'll need to keep it for now, if you don't mind." At this, the hat gave a muffled cry and a jerk of its own accord, causing Link to jump back in shock. "Shh, shh…" The scary man stroked the cap gently.

"Take with us?" The boy mumbled haltingly, "We're l-leaving?"

"Indeed. Right now, actually." The man stood from his crouch, revealing to Link what the stature of a grown man ought to be. The boy had never beholden an adult, as there were none among the eternally youthful Kokiri children. The man interrupted his gaping by leaning down slightly and holding a hand out, saying, "It'd all be easier for you if you'll agree to be my friend and come willingly, Link." He even said this with a slight smile, which, the boy noticed, did not suit his face in the least.

Link shrank back, shaking his head. "Can't."

"Would you tell me why?"

The child hung his head for a moment, and then raised it to mutter, "The Deku T-tree protects us. If I leave, I-I'll die. Mido sa-said so."

The man chuckled at the Link's naivety. "Mido? Let me guess, is he the local bully? The big boss who thinks he is better than you, and every other Kokiri?"

_Is it that obvious?_ the boy wondered. Link simply nodded sheepishly.

"Link, boys like that will tell you those things to _scare_ you. Besides, do you want to know a secret?" The man tried to animate his voice to appeal to Link's young mind. It worked, as Link leaned forward in wonderment. "I know for a _fact_ that you are better than Mido in just about every way, and I have never met him." He decided not to mention that Mido probably had a better way with words than this boy, however. Especially if he could lead an entire village to believe such a silly tale.

Link sat silent for a while, then finally shook his head. "I d-don't even know you…"

"Would it help if you knew a bit more about me?" Link leaned forward and raised his eyebrows, the equivalent of a nod. "What would you like to know, hm?"

Again, Link thought hard for quite some time, and then decided to mumble, "Name."

"That's it?" The man was quite shocked at this. Surely the boy wouldn't leave with a stranger simply by only knowing his name.

"No…" he seemed to struggle with articulating the words forming in his mind. "Tell me w-why you came."

"Good, that will do. My name is Ganondorf, and I've come for you because I want to save you from the bad people who dwell outside your forest. The girl you saw in your dream, Link, has something valuable of mine, and she might use it to corrupt this land. And who knows? Her family's terrible reign over Hyrule might cause _everyone_ some distress- even your friends here, the Kokiri." He paused to let this sink into the boy's mind. Once the fear had registered in Link's face, he continued, "I want to bring you to my lair, where I can train you to be a great warrior like me, and together we can fight off the evil threatening our loved ones. Would you like that?"

Ganondorf knew the answer before Link even nodded. The keeper of the Triforce of Courage would never refuse such an offer, even at the age of ten, even when it's given by his potential rival, the true mortal enemy of Hyrule.

* * *

**Review! Review! Review! And thank you so much for reading!**

**Harry Potter fan? Overlord fan? Might want to consider reading _Harry Potter and the Next Overlord,_ written by a good friend of mine, JLawrence Kenny, who is also writing a Kingdom hearts/Harry Potter crossover!**


	2. 2 Farewell

**Thanks so much to those of you who reviewed Chapter 1! I got a lot of great feedback, including some excellent pointers and revisions. Please keep reviewing!**

**I feel the need to note that from this chapter on, there will be frequent changes in POV! Just to prepare you :P**

***** UPDATE: Chapter 5 has been added! Check it out!**

**Without further ado... Chapter two! (RHYME!)**

* * *

"N-need to... g-goodbye. Saria."

Link struggled to keep up with Ganondorf's long, sure strides as the pair took off hastily toward the forest surrounding the Kokiri village. The round faces of green-clad children poked around windows and trees, wondering where their yellow-haired friend was off to with such a strange man.

Ganondorf spoke without slowing his pace, "Boy, has anyone ever told you that actions speak louder than words?" _Especially in your case,_ he thought to himself.

"W-what do you me-mean?" Link broke into a sprint for a moment to reach the grown man.

"You wish to say goodbye to your little friend?"

Link nodded, then mumbled unsurely, "Yeah."

Ganondorf finally relented, slowing his pace a tad. "Then it's simple," he sighed, "Go to her. Did I say you couldn't? Why even ask? Do as you please, as long as you're ready to face me head on… just in case I _am_ in a rush to get you out of here."

The child gulped, then nodded. He turned hesitantly and sprinted toward the shadowy entrance to Lost Woods.

* * *

A green-haired girl let fly the melodious notes of her favorite tune, fingers dancing over an expertly-crafted ocarina. She could sense every disturbance in the forest's perpetual peace. As the threads of life stretched and snapped before her eyes with every growing bud and dying ant, she took pleasure in sweetening the livelihood each organism in earshot.

Saria sensed him in the Woods. From her high perch in a thick, age-old tree, she felt his worn-down boots padding softly over the damp pine needles, heard his heavy breathing, smelled an unfamiliar scent in his hair. As she ceased playing her ocarina, the girl turned to face Link as he entered the clearing she looked over. Tucking some of her vivid, green hair behind a pointed ear, she waved to her companion cheerily, even though she tasted a mass amount perplexity wafting off of him.

Link returned her gesture, his usual ear-to-ear grin slightly suppressed.

Saria secured the instrument in her belt and swing swiftly from the tree, landing with a dull thud. "What's your hurry, Link? You never run in the Woods."

The boy's breath had calmed somewhat as he stuttered, "H-have to g-g-" he took another moment to gather himself, "have t-to go."

Saria pitied Link's difficulties in speech. "Go where, Link? You're not leaving the forest, are you?"

Link simply nodded.

"What?" The green-haired girl put a hand to her mouth in shock, "Link, you can't! There are monsters out there! There are bad people in the outside world! Even if you manage to find a weapon of some kind, you could… you could get hurt!"

The boy stopped his friend with a lift of his chin. "P-please… do-don't worry, Saria."

Saria looked hard at her dearest friend, wanting terribly to pursue the topic, but knowing too well the hardened look in his deep blue eyes. It was the same look he got when he reached for the words he so wished to use, the same look he got when he was resolute on standing up to Mido when everyone else was too frightened of him. She smelled his stubborn resolve to leave his home mingle with the pugnent stench she couldn't identify. He would leave the village of the Kokiri no matter what logic she provided.

"Link," she sighed, "it's dangerous to go alone… take this." Saria removed her wooden ocarina from her belt and offered it to her companion. "Please." She punctuated, seeing his reluctance. Link knew well that this was her dearest possession- the artifact of her affinity to the forest. He had not the heart to tell her that he was, in fact, not going alone.

"Might…" the boy squinted, as if the words he sought floated before him in particles as small as pollen. "might g-get bro… broken."

"I trust you, Link. I trust you'll take care of it." She placed a hand on his shoulder, the other hand still offering the wooden instrument. "I _want_ you to have it. Whenever you play it, you can remember me, and the rest of the Kokiri, and the forest. Then maybe you'll return sooner than you think." She smiled reassuringly, although her insides crawled at the thought of Link being injured and possibly forced to abandon the ocarina she held so dear.

Link stared at the ocarina long and hard, then looked into Saria's eyes. He held her gaze longer than he usually did, then he grinned at her and gently removed the ocarina from her hands, tucking it into his own belt.

"Well," Saria sighed as she rustled pine needles with her boot, "do you have to leave now?" _Please,_ she thought to herself,_ a few final hours with Link…_

The green-glad boy looked behind himself, as if he was being followed, then reluctantly nodded. He clearly had the same sentiments as his companion.

Saria stepped forward so as to embrace Link before he embarked, then froze as she sensed another presence. She heard heavy yet carefully placed footfalls- this being was greater in size than a Kokiri, but far too balanced and nimble to be a monster or other creature. Saria also smelled something exponentially more unfamiliar. She'd heard of this thing in tales told by the Great Deku tree… this thing she smelled was great, corrupt power.

She gasped from an overload of her painfully sensitive affinity for the forest. Link spotted Ganondorf leaning on a young tree, looking at him expectantly.

"Link," Saria said cautiously as she stepped back, "do you know this… this _person_?" She used the term person gingerly, still not sure as to whether this being fit into the category of human. He was, after all, far too tall and wide, with such a hard face and such strange garments that she wouldn't be surprised to find that he was simply a very, very powerful monster in disguise.

"Ganon… Ganondo-orf." Link said simply.

Saria gulped and suppressed the need to run from this thing's presence as fast as her legs would take her. She spoke without taking her eyes off of link "Are you leaving here because of him? You can't leave with a stranger, Link!"

She dared not grab Link's sleeve as he gradually shifted away from her- toward what she sensed was imminent danger encased in a shell of flesh somewhere between the color of her own skin and that of a blade of grass. Her every fiber told her that this being was depraved beyond comparison. He was corrupted to the point that her mouth ran dry at his closeness, even though he stood several yards away; she couldn't even imagine what it'd be like to stand adjacent to this predator.

_Why am I allowing Link to go with this monster? _Saria wondered to herself, _Am I such a coward that I can't brave moving any closer to this…this _thing_ to save my closest companion?_

The tree on which this so-called "Ganondorf" leaned cried out pitifully to the green-haired girl. Its roots clenched in pain as the being's intangible, wretched stench seeped into their domain in the forest loam. At this, Saria clenched her own clammy fists. The forest's pain was her own pain.

"Link…" Saria was unable to bring her voice above a whisper, "Please, Link, don't go. Sorrow… terrible sorrow…." The overpowering perverseness of his mere presence in the forest impeded her speech, causing her to briefly sympathize with Link's difficulties in voicing his thoughts.

The boy shook his head and continued to step back slowly from Saria, toward the man leaning silently on the tree. "Save you," Link muttered, "s-save Kokiri… I will."

He smiled at Saria, who stood aghast as her greatest companion and her dearest possession took off in the hands of some wicked being from beyond the forest.

* * *

"Princess… Princess?"

Zelda could not hear her caretaker. In fact, she couldn't even see her surroundings. This was happening very often of late- the young Princess had been having gruesome visions, both in her sleep and in waking.

And now, as Impa proceeded to shake the young miss's shoulders in order to waken Zelda from her stupor, a dark cloud replaced the chandelier that hung over the dining room, and shadows danced like dead men rising from the grave. As these phantoms shifted and swayed, a ray of light zoomed across the table before her, blinding the ghostly apparitions and striking them each in the heart, one by one.

This all had meaning to her. Prophetic symbols came and went, whispering in her ear, bellowing at her from the other side of Hyrule, etching runes into her very bones.

As the shadows finished seeping into the dining hall's rich carpeting, the great cloud over Zelda and her caretaker was swept away by the receding beam of light. In a matter of seconds, the room had settled back into what it truly was: rather than a battleground between light and darkness, Zelda was faced with an empty dining hall, in which the only sound that could be heard was the clinking of empty plates and dirty silverware being toted away by servants.

Impa now sat with her arms crossed, having given up trying to rouse the young Princess from her stupor. She now occupied herself with sending the servants scurrying along when she caught them gaping at their mistress's trance.

"Impa," Zelda muttered as she rubbed her temples, "'tis not well."

The Sheikiah caretaker quickly moved to sit across from the Princess, inquiring, "What is not well?"

"Nothing, dear Impa, nothing is well. Not myself, nor my family, nor this kingdom, nor the land of Hyrule. Nothing is well… nothing." She shook her head in distress.

"How so?" Impa lifted her chin in grave interest, pulling one knee up to her chest, letting the other leg sprawl before her- looking every inch the flexible Sheikiah that she was.

"I cannot yet decipher." Zelda looked to the ceiling, as if for the answers, but the looming cloud was no longer there to whisper unintelligible phrases to her. "According to my visions of late, everything in our realm is in a great deal of danger… but that is not to say, however, that there is no hope."

"And what form does the 'hope' take, my lady?"

"In my vision? A beautiful light, brighter than even the sun, yet more pleasing to look at than the fullest rose. In reality? I cannot be certain. Perhaps you can help me, Impa?" Zelda waited for her caretaker to incline her head before continuing, "What dispels darkness in a time of need? Pierces evil in the heart? Has no fear?"

Impa let a sideways smile play at the lips hidden beneath her traditional Sheikiah garb. "It all depends, my dear, on the _type_ of evil. Perhaps, if the danger is a famine, then the answer could simply be a time of prosperity- a harvest."

"Dear Impa, please do not make light of-"

"Forgive me, my lady, I didn't intend to offend you. So, meant true evil- corruption at its worst."

"Yes!" The Princess sighed, happy that her caretaker had stopped dallying in her true answer.

"A hero." The woman became grave for a mere moment, saying, "A true, born hero will quell even the most expansive fire of evil."

"A hero…" Zelda repeated thoughtfully. She placed an elbow on the table- a gesture she'd surely not perform while in anyone's audience but Impa's- and mused, "but from whence come this 'hero?' I fear this onslaught is on the horizon, and no brave soul has yet to appear before us."

"So you expect the big solution to seek _you_ out? Who's to say for sure that he is already aware that he _is_ the destined savior of Hyrule?"

Zelda did not respond, concentrating on uncoiling the meaning in Impa's wise words.

The Sheikiah woman continued, "And if we do not know the source of the evil…"

"Impa!" Zelda's head snapped forward, realization washing over her. "I believe I might know the source of this evil, if it is indeed a literal force of corruption."

"Do tell." Impa picked up her other leg, pulling herself into a cross-legged sit as she cocked her head slightly.

Zelda leaned forward even more, half her torso leaning over the table as she whispered, "Ganondorf."

"You go too far by making such accusations, Princess!" Impa muttered urgently. "How can you simply _guess_ that your father's most trusted advisor is so twisted?"

"I do not make this accusation lightly, Impa. I only mean to suggest that he is a very possible candidate… you must understand… I simply _feel_ this wretched breeze waft off of him, and-"

Impa held up a hand to silence her mistress. "Do not speak about this anymore, my lady. I _am_ one to speculate, but-"

"I am not merely speculating!" interjected the young Princess.

"Let me finish. Although I am _not _against this sort of… hypothesizing, I ask you to do so in total privacy."

Zelda deflated a bit, sinking back into her chair.

"But," Impa proceeded, "you know very well that I am always there to listen as long as you trust me."

Lightening back up, the Princess inclined her head and sighed, "Always, dear Impa, I will always trust you. I shall take this advice to heart and speak no more on this matter..."

"For now." Impa finished with a wink.

* * *

"Oi! Don't you folks know that we don't go openin' the gates after sundown?"

All Ganondorf had to do was turn his head upwards and allow the Hylian gatekeeper to look at his face to gain entrance to the sleeping marktplace of Hyrule.

The guard stuttered, "Sorry sirrah- won't happen again- do accept my apologies. Long day, it's been."

Ganondorf merely nodded his head silently and ushered a very worn-out Link to follow him into the abandoned streets after the large oak gate had swung down with a muted _thud._ The boy all too eagerly followed Ganondorf, nearly stepping on the man's heels to escape the horror that was Hyrule Field at dusk; however, this place did not suit Link much better, as the ground was too hard with rocks, and the houses were far too close and compact. What's more, there were so few trees, and so little grass.

It had been hours since the pair had left the Kokiri forest; it had been hours since Link had parted from his truest friend. This fact fed on the boy's optimism about working with Ganondorf to save his loved ones. All the way up to the gates of Hyrule, Link watched in awe as the man easily took care of various nocturnal monsters. Between each brief battle, Ganondorf would give the child snippets of everything he needed to know for the moment.

Ganondorf resided at Hyrule castle, working as the King's "trusted" advisor. However, he went on frequent excursions to his many secret locations, in which he could plot the downfall of the tyrannical monarchy.

Link had learned, too, that the King of Hyrule had confided in Ganondorf something quite disturbing: the ruler wanted to steal the three parts of a relic called the "Triforce." By gathering these ancient artifacts, he may then be granted one wish. Ganondorf had told Link that the King intended to wish for eternal life and rule, for every inch of land in existence, and its inhabitants, to be his to corrupt and manipulate.

This man with the red hair, this man who now led the way through the narrow streets of the marketplace, he was a true hero to Link. He had everyone's best interest at heart, and he was willing to share his devotion to Hyrule with a small forest boy.

"Do you remember what I've told you?" Ganondorf looked down to the green-clad child as they walked.

Link nodded gravely in response.

"Good. Don't forget: every bit of knowledge you've attained today must never be repeated. But that shouldn't be a problem, should it now?"

This time the boy shook his head.

"Then let's proceed."

The pair was allowed into the castle in much the same manner as they were allowed into the marketplace.

"Ganondorf," one guard called out, "if y'need his Majesty, he's not yet in his chambers."

The man inclined his head to the guard in a silent thank you.

To say that the child was in awe of the castle would be a severe understatement. Between the ornate wall hangings, lifelike portraits of past Kings, and glittering candle fixtures, Link did not know where to look. It was all so beautiful, and yet he had a slight feeling that he didn't belong here, inside the stone walls of a richly decorated castle.

_Ganondorf is like me, _he thought, _he doesn't belong here either. If he wasn't so large, he could be a Kokiri._

Link was snapped out of his mental ramblings quite suddenly as the man before him stopped. The boy looked forward to find that they had come before a pair of thick, wooden doors. Moving back a few steps, Link allowed the man to crack one door open and usher him in.

They were now faced with a room that could fit a score of Link's quaint treehouse inside of it. Before the pair ran a long, red carpet that led across the expanse of the room. This lead up to a set of ornate chairs, all empty except for one, which was inhabited by a tall, lean man. He seemed so far off that Link couldn't quite distinguish any more of his features.

_This must be the evil man, the King of Hyrule. _Link thought gravely.

Loathing having to make the journey across this huge, mostly empty room, the boy grudgingly followed as Ganondorf confidently trekked along the road of red carpet.

Around the halfway point, Link had begun to gaze longingly outside the frequent windows, as he had spotted several trees in the darkness. Of a sudden, one window brought forth a new image: backed by the dim outline of trees, framed by the stone window, was a girl.

She looked just as startled to see Link as he was to see her, as her great blue eyes widened significantly.

* * *

Zelda gasped as her mind faced an onslaught of recognition.

_He's it,_ she smiled as he passed all too soon from her line of vision, _the light… the Hero._

* * *

**Please review! I look forward to seeing what you all have to say ^_^ Until next chapter!**

******If you enjoy Harry Potter, or perhaps the Overlord games, then you ought to read _Harry Potter and the Next Overlord,_ written by a good friend of mine, JLawrence Kenny! Also check out his newest story, a Kingdom Hearts/HP crossover! 0o0**  



	3. 3 Trapped in a Rabbit Hole

**Sorry about the wait, everyone! I had to wait for life to calm down after a big show and a slew of choir competitions. ANYHOO, here it is, chapter 3!**

*****update- Chapter 5 is here! Scurry off and write those reviews =)**

**Please don't forget to review! And thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far- I've gotten a lot of very good constructive critique from some very articulate readers. Love it! Keep reviewing!**

* * *

As Ganondorf and Link neared the King of Hyrule, the advisor stopped abruptly.

"Your Majesty," the red-haired man made an intricate, low bow, "why is it that you remain on the throne at this late hour?"

The King rose slowly, moving to stand at a closer proximity to Ganondorf and the boy. He had a young, healthy look about him, with a simple crown donned over a thicket of yellow hair, much like Link's. "I was expecting you to return from your negotiations with the Zora people soon… who, might I ask, is the child?"

Link inwardly shuddered at the inevitable attention from the King, knowing the evil potential of this seemingly amiable man.

"I do not know the boy's name, your Majesty, as he seems to lack the ability of speech." Link raised his eyebrows at this lie, but played the part and remained silent. Ganondorf continued, "I found him alone by the river, looking quite lost, and simply could not leave him to the hands of monsters."

The King's eyes widened in interest as he came closer to the green-clad boy, who held his head high and avoided meeting the monarch's eye. "Tell me," the ruler said as he circled around Link with mild interest, "what do you intend to _do_ with him?"

_This is it. _Link inwardly fretted, _What if he knows Ganondorf is lying? He'll try to make me talk... tell him where the Kokiri are so he can..._ Link gulped and lifted his chin further, unwilling to face the thought of it. Ganondorf's lie was quite convincing, and the King of Hyrule showed no signs of doubt.

Ganondorf stepped forward and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. Despite his newfound trust in the King's advisor, the boy couldn't help but dread the man's touch. "With your permission, I believe I will take him in as my pupil. Take him under my wing, if you will."

"But of course!" The King smiled at Link and turned back to his advisor. "Such a healthy young lad will be perfect for you. Perhaps he'll be able to keep up with your pace, eh?"

The two men laughed at this as the boy silently hoped that he indeed wouldn't have to run to keep up with Ganondorf's long strides one day.

Hyrule's king started and directed a smile at Link once again. "My my, I've just realized something quite important!"

"What is it, Your Majesty?" Ganondorf inquired.

"It seems as though we've no possible way of finding out this young man's name!"

Ganondorf thought for a moment, then responded, "Ah, but we do." The red haired man then turned to Link and asked, "Boy, have you yet learned to read and write? Perhaps you could write your name out for us, else we'll have to bestow you a name ourselves."

Quelling the temptation to laugh at the eloquent, formal way in which Ganondorf addressed him in front of the King, Link nodded.

"Good," Ganondorf looked relieved that Link had responded so. Could it be that this was part of his plan?

The royal library proved to be yet another shock to Link, who had seen only a scant few scrolls and tomes in his short lifetime. Ganondorf ushered the young one into a cushioned stool facing a small writing desk, equipped already with several sheets of parchment and a quill.

The King seated himself in a recliner opposite of the desk, looking at Link expectantly. "Well?" He smiled, "Let's have it. Do inscribe your name here, if you will."

The boy looked to Ganondorf pleadingly, but the man was busying himself with something Link couldn't quite see, as there was a tall, sturdy, and loaded bookshelf between them. Gulping, the boy looked to the empty parchment.

_Should he know my real name?_ Link thought frantically, _Could my real name trace back to the Kokiri? No, it couldn't possibly..._

Just as the boy was threatening to break into a cold sweat, the red-haired advisor to the King poked his head around the corner. With a smile that did not suit his face at all, he politely inquired, "is something amiss, Your Majesty?"

"It seems as though the boy is having trouble. You _do_ know your alphabet, yes?"

Link nodded quickly, then pointed to a tome at his feet.

"You... you want this?" The king reached for the heavy-looking novel.

Ganondorf interjected quickly, snatching the book up with one deft movement. "Do not strain yourself, your majesty. Relax yourself, I will tend to this." At that, he turned to Link and offered up the tome. "You wish to use this?"

Again, Link nodded.

"Very well. If it will help you write..." The advisor presented the book to Link and went back to whatever it was that he was doing behind the bookcase.

Link was quite rough at his penmanship, however the Great Deku Tree had protected many ancient scrolls for the Kokiri children to learn from and add on to. The boy was, as a result, an avid reader, but somehow lacked the skills to convey his words on paper. That was where this tome came in.

Link hefted the first half of the book open, finding himself faced with a book on Hylian myth and lore, written in modern text.

_Perfect,_ the boy smiled to himself as he located an uppercase "L" on the lefthand page and carefully copied it onto a piece of parchment.

The king clapped his hands together in amusement. "Oh, Ganondorf, you must come see this! What a clever child you've found!"

"Oh?" Ganondorf emerged once again, this time carrying a tray leaden with three goblets, a loaf of bread, and assorted cheeses.

"Why, thank you Ganondorf." The king grinned as he was handed the largest, most ornate goblet. "Look here, at the lad. Look at how he works..."

At this point, Link had just perfected the dot on his "i."

Ganondorf set the tray down on a nearby stool and hovered over the boy's shoulder as he muttered, "Hmm... I see. Clever indeed, copying the letters. So you can read, but not write?"

Link nodded slightly as he placed a finger under a lowercase "n" to copy. The King and his advisor watched intently as the boy located the final letter of his name on the next page, carefully copying it down to the last curve.

* * *

Peering between two editions of the Hyrulian encyclopedia, Princess Zelda could just make out the face of her father as he rose from his seat and joyfully toasted to the boy in green, called Link, who looked rather perturbed.

All of a sudden, Zelda's view was blocked by the face of Ganondorf, who looked disgustingly happy to see her. The princess gasped and jumped backwards into the next bookcase, knocking down more than a few hefty tomes in the process.

Link's head snapped at the sound, and the King whirled to face the noise, spilling a bit of his drink in the process. "What was that, Ganondorf?" he asked.

"Well, Your Majesty, it seems we have a guest with us." The advisor grinned at Zelda and extended an arm to escort her to the chairs. Blatantly ignoring it as she so often did, the young girl simply lifted her chin and strode over to face her father.

"Young lady," the King began. This was his father voice, not his King of Hyrule voice. Zelda both adored and resented the 'Young lady...' tone. "I don't recall you properly announcing your presence among us."

"I did not do so, father." Zelda resisted the childish urge to hang her head in shame. She _meant_ to keep her presence a secret.

The King opened his mouth to further chastise his daughter, but no words escaped. Zelda had barely enough time to note the glazed look in his eyes before he went down.

"Father!" Zelda leapt towards the King as he toppled over sideways, crashing to the floor in a heap as the goblet rolled from his now limp hand, spewing what was left of his drink as he did so.

It all occured too fast: Ganondorf leapt swiftly over the King's falling form and made to grab the Princess. However, no sooner had the man extended his arm had Zelda been yanked backwards by an arm around her waist.

In a flurry of smoke and limbs, Impa whisked herself and the young Princess away from the library.

"Foolish! Idiotic!" Impa used the words to emphasize each of her motions as she hurriedly saddled a white mare in the stables, where she had teleported herself and Zelda, who stood and watched, chastised, as her caretaker readied the mount. "Spying! And on the very man you suspected as evil! How right you were about him... poison... how foolhardy of you to be there."

"He needed to be watched," Zelda mumbled just loud enough for Impa to hear, "and the boy... Link..."

"He is evil, too." Impa said tersely as she stepped away from the now fully-saddled horse. "Get on. We must leave now."

* * *

**0o0 What's going to happen next? You won't have to wait as long to find out in the next chapter, I promise :)**

**Please review! Thank you!**

******More fan fiction action: _Harry Potter and the Next Overlord,_ and_ Wizarding Hearts,_ which were written by a good friend of mine, JLawrence Kenny!**  



	4. 4 Let it End : Let it Begin

**Here's to yet another chapter! The stage is set, and Link's new path begins...**

****UPDATE: Chapter 5 is here, good people! Review!**

**Please reveiw! I value your critique! (constructive critique, that is!) Aaaaand without further ado, chapter 4.**

* * *

"What do you mean, 'wait?' we must go now!"

Impa was in a rampage. She stormed around the fully saddled, white mare to face Princess Zelda's reply head-on.

"I-" Zelda shuddered, not accustomed to her caretaker being so angry with her. "I need to get the Ocarina."

The Sheikiah woman deflated. "Oh," she sighed with understanding, "very well. But make haste." she placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and whisked her off, back to the castle.

Impa had taken them to the castle gardens, which were overlooked by the great windows of the throne room. The Princess lifted her cumbersome skirts and scurried over to the window through which she'd looked upon Link for the first time.

"I keep it right here..." Zelda fumbled with one of the wallstones adjacent to the window, which soon came loose enough for the girl to heave out of its place.

Impa continued to quietly observe as the Princess hastily leaned over the extracted stone, reaching into the hollow center to retrieve a dazzling blue Ocarina. "Ready?" the caretaker said, taking a step forward.

"Wait... Impa, what about father?" Zelda stood and looked down at the instrument in her hand, tears threatening to form in her eyes. "This is a family artifact, I have no right-"

"It is yours now." Impa interjected as she strode up to the child, looking down upon her with arms crossed impatiently. "Princess, we will have time to discuss this later. Your father is either dead or dying, and I must fulfill my duty to keep you safe. We must go now; the King would wish it."

Zelda kept her head bowed a moment, squeezing her eyes shut, taking a small moment to get her wits about her. _Dead or dying._ She repeated to herself, _Father is either dead or dying. I must keep the Ocarina safe- for Hyrule._ The girl looked up, nodding for Impa to place her hands on her shoulders once more. _I will protect the Ocarina for Hyrule... and I will see Ganondorf dead for Father. As for Link..._

The girl's thoughts were whisked away with her as Impa transported the two back to the stables to make their escape.

* * *

A trickle of rainwater gently tapped Link's cheek as he scurried frantically behind Ganondorf, who was running past building after building, heading for the castle stables. He hastily jumped over obstacles while Link picked up his feet, attempting to cease tripping on mere cobblestones. _How in the world is he so nimble? I'll need to learn his secret,_ Link noted.

The pair finally reached the stables, and Ganondorf wasted no time in saddling a horse before Link even had time to catch his breath from the run. "On." he said tersely. The lad obeyed, and Ganondorf quickly hoisted himself behind Link and took off into the darkness.

The storm began to progress as quickly as the horse had torn from the stables and into the streets of Hyrule, and soon visibility was abysmal, though Ganondorf took no notice of this. Link felt the muscle man's legs tighten, spurring their black mount as fast as it would go.

Sheets of rain pounded Link's head and shoulders relentlessly as he attempted to peer forward without being blinded by the fat droplets of water. He glimpsed something moving ahead, fairly close, as the great drawbridge began to lower slowly, adding the sound of groaning chains to the deafening chorus of the storm.

Ganondorf leaned forward, causing Link to bend lower over the horse as well. He was making a final push to catch up to the moving shape ahead of them, and it was working. Link could finally make out the glow of white fur, topped by two silhouetted people. The white horse stormed across the still-lowering drawbridge of Hyrule, now close enough that Link could see who they were pursuing.

They had finally come to level with the pair on the white horse directly to their left, and Link dared look sideways at them. The boy was met by a familiar pair of violet eyes belonging to Princess Zelda. Rather than looking surprised, as they had before, Link detected sadness...

A_nd pleading? _Link thought, _Is she trying to tell me-_

There was a jolt on the black mount as Ganondorf banked sharply to the right, interrupting any mental connection the child might have forged with the Princess. Surprised to find that Ganondorf had given up chase, Link looked upwards at his companion.

"Sheikiah... not time yet..." Ganondorf's lips moved, but Link only caught enough of his words to realize that the woman straddling Zelda had driven Ganondorf to give up- for now.

* * *

Using a sharp rock, Saria marked the trunk of her perch with a third line.

"That's three days now." she whispered, "Where are you, Link?"

The forest girl sighed and lifted a wooden piccolo to her lips, beginning once again to release a trill of cheery notes into the silent forest. Of a sudden, the piccolo once again rested in Saria's lap as she sat bolt upright, sensing a disruption in the forest.

They were the small feet of someone her age... a girl. Saria deflated slightly at the news that this was, in fact, not Link, as she'd hoped. She waited patiently for the edge of the clearing to be crossed by this mysterious girl, who was certainly not one of the Kokiri by the way she carelessly overstepped twigs and kicked leaves atop rabbit holes.

Saria did not have to wait long: a young girl, about her own height and stature, stumbled into the clearing. Her dress was tattered and stained, though it looked as though it'd previously displayed a great amount of opulence.

_Princess_, the forest whispered, _wise beyond years, listen..._

Saria swung nimbly from her favorite branch after tucking the piccolo into her belt, landing neatly on the loamy forest floor. Somehow, the Princess did not look surprised to see her.

"Are you..." the Princess stuttered, "Pardon me, I forget myself- introductions first." Saria raised her eyebrows. The girl before her seemed disheveled- slightly addled. She cleared her throat and curtsied. "I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule."

Saria mimicked Zelda's curtsey with as much grace as she could muster. "Saria. What do you seek here, Princess Zelda? These woods are not safe for those who are not protected by the spirit of the forest, the Great Deku Tree..."

"I come seeking someone who is in acquaintance with a boy named Link-"

"You know Link?" Saria's eagerness had shattered the composure she'd previously been using to mask her surprise at such a strange visitor to the forest. "Do you know where he is? Is he well? Was there a man-"

"Pardon me, Saria," Zelda politely interrupted, "Your answers will come quite soon, I promise, if you'll only allow me to speak. So, you are close to Link?"

Saria merely nodded, anxiously awaiting Zelda's next words.

"I met Link three days ago..." Zelda wasted no time in explaining that she knew the "man" Saria was going to refer to- the king's advisor, Ganondorf. At this, Saria clenched her fists. Zelda continued, recalling how Link could not speak, and how he stood and watched as the King of Hyrule was poisoned. "I know he's not like Ganondorf. I just... I know. And I know you know, too. Link needs to be saved from that man. But before that-"

"First off," Saria piped up, "Link can definitely talk. I mean, he _can,_ but he doesn't... never mind." she waved it away with a hand and continued, "How did you even know where the Kokiri are?"

Zelda looked a little impatient, but answered politely, "A simple matter- Ganondorf said he found Link by the Zora's river, but as my caretaker and I fled the castle, she brought me here and told me that this is where I would find his home. She would not go in with me though... regardless, here we are. I do have a point, Saria."

"By all means, make it." Saria nodded, her arms crossed.

Zelda shut her eyes for a moment and took a great breath. "The Great Deku Tree is in danger. Worse yet, all of Hyrule is in danger. It all begins with Ganondorf- the danger, I mean." She daintily cleared her throat again. "In short... there was supposed to be a hero, and he was going to wipe it all away."

"_Supposed_ to be a hero?" Saria raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, to be quite frank, I believe it to be Link. But I know this will not transpire." Zelda spoke quickly, before Saria could retort. "What I mean by this is Link will not follow his destined path... something has been interrupted... by Ganondorf. I believe we're not to wait for Link to arise as the hero we seek."

"So then...?" Saria leaned closer to Zelda.

"We shall forge our own path. We shall go through the motions that the hero ought, and-"

"We?"

Zelda sighed. "I'd like to get through this, Saria-"

"_Pardon me_, Princess, but I'd really love to find out how I can help, rather than rattle on about prophecies and destiny."

Zelda looked at the green-haired girl indignantly for a moment, then nodded. "You are correct. I shall cut off the fat of this. I want you to... _be_ Link."

"Excuse me?" Saria said, taken off guard.

"Walk in what should be his footsteps. He was, as I have foreseen, supposed to be sent to gather three precious artifacts, one of which resides here in the Kokiri forest, inside the spirit-"

"The Deku Tree- the Kokiri Emerald!"

The Princess cocked her head at Saria's knowledge of the Emerald's existance, but continued nonetheless, "Yes, and the Zoras' Sapphire, and the Gorons' Ruby. They three, along with this," she removed a polished, blue ocarina from a pouch at her side, "will help you proceed in Link's path. Will you, Saria, be Link's shadow?"

The forest girl kept her arms crossed, though her eyes kept darting toward the gleaming ocarina in the Princess's hands. _If I leave the forest... I might never return. _ She looked to the treetops. _But the Deku Tree needs help. If nothing else, I should help the Great Deku Tree. I owe our guardian nothing less._ Saria looked back up at Zelda.

The Princess stepped forward. "You cannot replace Link as the hero- you will struggle. But you'll be a hero regardless... but not _the_ hero. And I will assist you as best I can; foremost, I can help you by giving you this." She handed Saria the blue instrument. "It's rather important to me, if you'll please practice care with it..."

Saria gaped at the blue ocarina for quite some time. As her own ocarina had, this one seemed to hum at her touch. It did not, however, thrum with the same type of energy. Saria did not feel the threads of forest life stretching and snapping as usual... this was far different. It brought her nostalgia, and yet it gave her visionary ideas and hopes for the future.

"Ah, I see..." Zelda seemed to be gathering information from Saria's reaction to the ocarina. "Well... are we understood?"

Saria looked up, unanswering.

"Best be on your way. We shall meet again some time, Saria."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Until next chapter!**

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******Harry Potter fan? Overlord fan? Kingdom Hearts fan? Might want to consider reading _Harry Potter and the Next Overlord,_ or _Wizarding Hearts, _written by a good friend of mine, JLawrence Kenny!**  



	5. 5 With Time

**Ahhh, finally, chapter 5! Took me long enough. Please, please review! I value your opinions. I've had reviews that have really made me think more about character development and plot, and I can't ever have enough of your constructive input, so keep it coming!**

**I do not own anything Nintendo... yet. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Link cast aside yet another bottle of Lon Lon milk, the sharp _clang_ of the empty bottle against its counterparts slicing into the prevalent silence of the desert cavern. He stretched his long arms from his perch on a stool and bleakly wondered when Ganondorf would return from his castle once again.

Ganondorf would make the journey from his lair in the desert (where Link now sat) to his own castle, formerly known as Hyrule castle, like clockwork, taking three weeks in each location, allowing three day's journey between each. So it had been for seven years. However, the red-haired man had been in his castle for three weeks and five days, causing a rift in the normalcy of Link's life.

As if on cue, the thud of heavy boots on sand faded into the cavern, becoming louder in time. Link did not make to stand, merely turning his head expectantly to the stone wall far to his left, raising his chin in greeting as his mentor emerged from the concealed entrance.

Ganondorf nodded to the young man, placing his travelling cape onto a carved ledge across from Link's perch. He glanced at the pile of discarded bones and bottles and commented sternly, "I see what happens when I break routine. Did it not occur to you that I'd expect this place in order for my return, as I do every time I return?"

_If I only knew _when_ you were returning,_ Link huffily stood from his stool and began gathering the debris that had accumulated over five days.

"Don't." Ganondorf ordered. Link froze and dropped the few bottles he'd managed to snatch in those brief seconds. "I have a much more important task for you, boy." he paced the cavern excitedly. "It is time for you to harness all of the knowledge I've impressed on you for these long years. Are you ready to leave the desert, Link?"

Link nodded. He knew this day might come soon.

"Do you recall the way to Hyrule Castle Town, boy? I expected not, so I've brought you a map of Hyrule from the castle library. Learn it well, and do not misplace it. Now, that wretched Princess Zelda is still out there, Link, and I cannot stress enough how important it is that, if you come into contact with _any_ suspicious persons, take them prisoner. Anyone acting strangely in my realm might well be supporters of her rebellion. Do you understand?"

Link nodded gravely, his hatred of the rebellion against the great man before him causing a knot to form in his chest.

"You are to trek to the Temple of Time, which stands before my castle, if you recall."

Blurry, rain-spattered memories of a frantic run to the castle stables as a boy bought forth the image of a solitary building, its stained-glass windows promising solace that Link was most certainly not headed for that the time.

"When you arrive, if you make good time, you should be a few hours shy of Princess Zelda's weapon emerging from the innermost chamber of the Temple. _Anyone_ you find in the area is to be taken prisoner." At the look on Link's face, Ganondorf retraced and said, "Worry not, boy, you are to take the prisoners to my castle dungeons, not to this lair. Understood?"

Link nodded once again.

"The weapon, however, must return here. Alive."

The young man raised his eyebrows. _Alive... it must be a monster. How am I to contain a live monster for a three day journey?_

"Go now, pack. I shall wait here for your return." At this, Ganondorf turned on his heel and made for his chambers, snatching his cloak off the ledge as he strode.

Link gathered together some cloth for gags, an assortment of daggers, provisions, and slung his weapon of choice, a bow and quiver of arrows, over his back. _If I only knew why Ganondorf wasn't doing all this himself..._

He stuffed the gags, daggers, and provisions into an assortment of pouches about his belt and took off, swiftly grabbing his green cap off of the floor beside his stool and shaking the sand out of it before placing it atop his mess of blonde hair.

The mission had commenced.

* * *

Outside the Temple of Time, Zelda crouched behind a wall of blackened, thinning bushes, watching the sun's progress as it slowly lowered in the sky.

_She will awaken soon..._

It was almost over for the weary Princess of Hyrule, who had only stopped to sleep by mere necessity. Trapped between learning the ways of the Shiekah people from Impa and helping Saria along her grueling journey, Zelda could not bear to think of Hyrule's fate had she taken even an hour to "rest."

Indeed, Saria had done as she was told and followed in what were supposed to be Link's footsteps, finding the three spiritual stones. She had undoubtedly succeeded in doing this... with great assistance. Upon her arrival at each and every obstacle, Zelda was there, behind some wall or already far ahead, practically getting the stones _for_ Saria.

_In hindsight, perhaps I should have left Saria in the forest and gotten the stones myself after all._ Zelda shook her head. She knew that this was the only way to lure Saria out, and with Saria out, perhaps Link would see what side he needs to be on.

_This journey was meant for the Hero, not for this forest girl..._

The Princess froze, hearing crunching boots in the distance. She crept swiftly from her initial hiding place and slid through the great double doors of the Temple of Time to await Saria's awakening.

The Temple hadn't changed in the least, unlike the rest of Hyrule.

_ It's as if that wicked man is afraid of setting foot in here... or leaving this portion of Hyrule for later._ Hoping for the prior, Zelda passed through the initial chamber, where the three spiritual stones still stood suspended over a stone pedestal. Eager to re-conceal herself, the Princess covered here eyes as she passed the great pillar of light concealing Saria and crouched in the shadow of a stone pillar in the back room of the temple.

Saria had been "asleep" in the pillar of light since seven years ago, when she placed a hand on the hilt of the Master Sword. According to Zelda's research, Saria would remain in her childlike state due to her Kokiri blood, which did not allow her to physically grow up. That in mind, the Princess could use Saria to get to Link.

_Speak of the Hero..._

Saria peered toward the entrance of the backroom, spying Link's entrance. He was tall and muscular now, far evolved from the skinny, awkward-looking child she'd met so many years ago.

Recalling the sun's progress a few minutes ago, it would be another hour or so before Saria awakened. With this in mind, Zelda remained hidden and opted to simply watch Link until Saria emerged from the light.

Minutes ticked by as Link switched between staring at the light, looking deep in thought, then paced the circumference of the room.

As the time for Saria to emerge drew quite near, Zelda watched as Link approached the light, shielding his eyes carefully. It looked as if he realized the light might hurt his hand like fire, because he quickly stepped back and drew a bow from his back, retrieving an arrow as he did so.

_He's aiming for the light..._

Zelda cleared her throat and disguised her voice, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Link."

At the sudden noise, or perhaps the mention of his name, Link turned his arrow toward the source of the noise with surprising speed and ferocity. He said nothing.

Zelda put her hands up and stepped forward. She harbored no weapons, just the magic and secrets of the Shiekah tribe. The Princess, covered in traditional Shiekah garb that covered the better part of her face and covered her feminine features, stepped fully out of the shadow and said gently, "At least you're pointing your weapon at me. You see, if you shoot that light, you're at risk of injuring Saria."

The reaction was immediate. Link flinched, as if he'd been struck with a sharp rock, and his eyes widened, resembling the ones Zelda remembered from their first and only "meeting" at Hyrule Castle. Still, he did not speak.

He persisted in pointing his arrow at Zelda, his face contorted in some unpleasant emotion.

The disguised princess slowly backed up, so as not to startle Link, and leaned on the pillar she'd previously been hiding behind.

As the minutes ticked on, the light began to flicker.

* * *

Saria's breath caught in her throat as she lowered her hand over the hilt of a beautiful, purple-hilted sword in a stone bearing the mark of the Triforce she'd heard so much about since she began her journey.

As her hand closed over the strangely warm hilt, a brilliant light shot up around her, encasing her, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut to avoid blindness.

As quickly as the light had come, it ended, leaving Saria to an uproar of new sensations. Her hair was heavier, her limbs ached, and the sword was much smaller in her hand now. Had it shrunk?

She crouched down and stared at the sword in wonder, then gasped at her vague reflection in its blade.

Her face was sharper now, her green hair tumbling over her delicate shoulders. As Saria shakily raised herself from her crouch, she was met by two gazes, one red-eyed and mysterious, one blue-eyed and familiar.

The forest girl's face lit up as her long legs propelled her past the sword, which remained in its stone. "Link!" Saria opened her arms for embrace, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. "Look at us, Link! We're-" Here eyes moved down from his hardened, mature face and towards the weapon in his hands. She stepped back. "What...?"

"Saria, be wary. This is no longer your childhood friend."

* * *

**Until next chapter! Please review! I've finally figured out how to properly reply to your reviews, and I intend to respond to each and every one =)**

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